My Girl does not like the snow, so the past couple weeks have been hard on us. (Note: she’s a dog.) Last weekend I managed to scoot her out during a momentary reprieve, and while she was all about business and returning to indoor heating thankyouverymuch, we crossed paths with a pretty cute French Bulldog who was happily chowing down on the icy treat. His Person sheepishly said to us, “We’re just eating snow.” Hey, if it works for Reese Witherspoon!
So that little interlude is my segue into the breaking news in American Dogdom: after poring over records of newly registered dogs, the American Kennel Club is reporting that the French Bulldog is now most popular, taking the top spot from Labrador Retrievers who have led the pack for over three decades. What?! A French dog as America’s favorite?! Sacré bleu! Since My Girl is a marvelous Chihuahua-Dachshund mix, I have no horse in this race, so to speak. Here’s what AKC has to say:
Some statistics: According to the American Kennel Club, for the past 31, the Labrador Retriever was America’s favorite dog but it was eclipsed in 2022 by the Frenchie. The rankings are based on nearly 716,500 dogs newly registered in 2022, of which about 1 in 7 were Frenchies. Around 108,000 French Bulldogs were recorded in the U.S. in 2022, surpassing Labrador Retrievers by over 21,000. The French Bulldog’s popularity has grown exponentially over the past decade. They were the #14 most popular breed in 2012, and since then, registrations have gone up 1,000%, bringing them to the top of the breed popularity rankings.
In the spotlight: The French Bulldog was famous among America’s upper class around the turn of the 20th century but then fell out of favor. Their resurgence is partly based on several celebrities who have gone public with their Frenchie love. Leonardo DiCaprio, Megan Thee Stallion, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Reese Witherspoon and Lady Gaga all own French Bulldogs. The breed earned a lot of attention as show dogs last year when a Frenchie named Winston took second place at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and first in the National Dog Show. The breed made national news in early 2021 when Gaga’s dog walker was shot in the chest while walking two of her Frenchies in a dog heist. He recovered from his injuries, and the dogs were later returned.
Looks, personality, size: “They’re comical, friendly, loving little dogs,” French Bulldog Club of America spokesperson Patty Sosa told the AP. She said they are city-friendly with modest grooming needs and “they offer a lot in a small package.” They are also popular with people who live in apartments. According to the AKC, Frenchies don’t bark much and do not require a lot of outdoor exercise. The French Bulldog stands out among other breeds because it looks like a miniature bulldog but has large, expressive bat-like ears that are its trademark feature. However, their popularity isn’t without controversy. “French bulldogs can be a polarizing topic,” veterinarian Dr. Carrie Stefaniak told the AP.
Health concerns: French Bulldogs have been bred to have abnormally large heads, which means that large litters usually need to be delivered by C-section, an expensive procedure that can be dangerous for the mother. They are also prone to multiple health problems, including skin, ear, and eye infections. Their flat face means they often suffer from respiratory problems and heat intolerance. Frenchies are also more prone to spine deformations and nerve pain as they age.
Full disclosure: apparently this bulletin was originally released in March 2023, but I didn’t see the tiny fine print at the bottom of the article until after a few read throughs. But for whatever reason the news has been recirculating and that’s just dandy with me because I always want to talk about dogs!! More specifically, I want to rile up passionate debate over whether it’s appropriate that the French Bulldog has dethroned the Labrador Retriever as America’s favorite breed. Thoughts? Questions? Consternations? I’ll start us off… As a city dweller myself, I understand the appeal of their size and temperaments. Plus anyone who has a trademark of “expressive bat-like ears” is someone worth knowing. I wouldn’t call My Girl’s ears bat-like, but they are equally captivating and communicative. (Note from My Girl: “I’m listening for food, Lady. That’s all it is.”) So between those factors combined with a little celebrity glow, I understand Frenchies gamboling to favorite breed. After reading all the health problems they’ve developed thanks to human intervention, though, I can’t help but wonder if they’d declare the same of us.
photos via Pexels as credited in file names
Both are really cute. I looooove dogs. I always thought the most popular was the golden retriever… Mine are 1 rescue a Chihuahua mix and the other from a family who couldn’t keep it anymore, he is probably a chihuahua x pinscher. They are our babies now. Whatever the breed, just take care of them really well!
I have a problem with the idea of designing an animal for convenience and appearance at the expense of good health.
Thank You, Eurydice!!!
Please look into the breed of dog. Any dog that needs a fricking C-section (red flag) to be born is not good. And in the case of Frenchies specifically (as with all flat-faced dogs) the respiratory issues are awful. Frenchies have lots of health issues and no matter hoe cute they look, they really should not be bred.
Yes, thank you, Eurydice. I heard a vet speculate (put money on it) that the size of their skulls squashes their brains, which means they are likely in a state of continual headache. It is so sad. Don’t get me started on the breathing complications.
Yeah, continuing to breed these dogs is pretty tragic. And cruel.
100% this. I love Frenchies (who couldn’t, they are so cute 😻) but to put a dog thru a c section just to get the “perfect” designer animal is inhumane, really. The health issues created by this breeding are too.
I really have a problem with this kind of unethical breeding.
The result is dogs, or cats, with extreme characteristics detrimental to the health and welfare of these particular breeds, causing unnecessary suffering, and I think this is simply not cute at all.
Many of these deformed breeds will also go on to develop behavioural abnormalities, e.g. increased aggressiveness caused by hereditary factors, they may be deformed (flat nose, big head – or cats with short legs), thereby causing pain, suffering or harm to the animals.
And result in extra (high) vet bills for the owners.
Agree 100%. It is SICK to breed a dog so unnatural that it requires man made intervention to reproduce. IMHO, it’s even sadder with so many fabulous little rescues waiting to be adopted. A famous Hollywood dog trainer said he uses rescues, because they are so smart and so grateful! I’ve found my 3 rescue mutts to be healthier long term than my friends’ pricy purebreds.
It’s not even just this. The fact that their faces are so flat, which humans have unnaturally bred for, means that they can’t breathe. It’s just not how their airways work. Most frenchies are de facto drowning all the time, which feels like an incredibly cruel thing to do to someone you love.
Everyone I know with a Frenchie has spent thousands of dollars on medical care. Back problems, skin problems, digestion problems. And they don’t live very long because they walk around with sleep apnea their whole lives all the time.
100% to all of these comments. None of this extreme breeding should be legal – it’s absolutely cruel and inhumane to the animals.
How are reasonable humans not ashamed to participate in – and thereby perpetuate – this cruelty by purchasing these extreme breeds? Let alone at a rate making them the most popular breed in the US.
It really is so sad. I was watching a video the other day about a breeder who is actively trying to reverse the ill effects of breeding on Frenchies and (I believe) bulldogs, and it’s striking to see the differences of his dogs versus what we now think the breeds look like. His dogs look more like classical depictions of the dogs you see in Victorian-era art – and honestly they’re so much cuter! Obviously health should be the main point ALWAYS, but I struggle to see why “we” wanted them to be so flat in the first place?!? Anyway, I hope other people can get on board with this man’s mission and work to restore these, as well as other breeds’ more healthy bloodlines.
Also adorable sausage dogs. They are gorgeous. A vet nurse friend calls them the long and lows. But, apparently, there is pain involved in supporting such long spines on four low corners of leg. It makes sense when you think about it.
Customers of ours were grandfurparents to a Frenchie. Their son traveled a lot. It was his dog. He had a fantastic name. Adorable little guy. We saw him quite frequently. Sir Frenchie (not his real name-protecting his privacy) had so many health issues. Very sad. Such a cute face and good boy with personality. It was hard. We saw him almost every day. And if we didn’t,…. concerns, he always had health issues. Sir Frenchie is no longer with us. I confess, I cried. Thousands were spent on his health. Such a good, congenial boy. The Queen Feline of our house absolutely noticed when I came home smelling like the other whatever.
Designer dogs. Grrrr Not love.
Totally agree with you. Frenchies are everywhere where I live, and I haven’t met one that doesn’t have breathing problems or is blind/deaf. It’s a designer breed and I’ll admit to their cuteness, but they are being way overbred now without concern for their overall health and temperament. The people breeding them aren’t doing it to improve the breed; they are doing it to make as much as they can in a short amount of time. They are also bulldogs, and can be quite stubborn. They don’t have the easygoing charm of a lab or golden (which are also very overbred as well).
They are becoming very inbred and have lots of related aggression. Buyer beware. Make sure you see lineage 4 generations back and get excellent reference for other customers. The average price is like $6k because of the need for CSdction. And it goes up fast from there for the novelty colors.
They are adorable though.
This is a good point. Also not the same breed obviously but I’ll never forget the one time I went to visit a new mom friend’s house for our little ones to have a play date. They had a Boston terrier and that thing was SO aggressive. He kept coming after me, and putting himself in between my (VERY young) children and myself. I finally expressed my discomfort to our hostess and she literally SMIRKED and ignored me until finally saying more or less she wouldn’t be doing anything about it. So, we left and that was it for us. We kept in touch via SM for years and I’ve noticed she has a thing for dog breeds “of the moment.” I’ve never seen her post about the Boston terrier, so maybe she finally had to rehome him, but she posts an awful lot about her poodle and her French bulldog 😬
They are a better choice for people living in apartments. Hopefully, whatever breed people choose they research first and know what they are getting into. I would rather hear that rescue dogs are the overwhelming favorite though.
Still seems supremely cruel to breed a dog to have significant health problems just so they fit better in apartments…
(And sure, the health problems are not the *point* of the breeding, but are well known to be an inescapable outcome of breeding for these features, to the point that breeding them for those features IS breeding them for those corresponding health problems.)
I’m with you on wishing rescue dogs were the favorite though!
There are many small size dogs. I don’t think the idea was to have them fit better in apartments. The problem with these dogs are the problems with all brachycephalic dogs (not all small) to some extent.
Well, my husband sleeps on the couch every night and I sleep in our bed with our chocolate lab, so you can tell where my loyalties lie, LOL.
Labs have a fair amount of health issues as well as a result of overbreeding and inbreeding.
they also do require a lot of exercise until they don’t, lol. Our lab is 3 and he is crazy about retrieving but I know the high energy phase will pass in a year or two. (if my previous lab is anything to go by, the love of retrieving wont go away, just the energy to do it, lol.)
I like Frenchies bc I think they have big personalities in little packages. However, I would never have one because of their issues with the heat and breathing, even though I know people have them in warm climates and they are fine.
The difference to me is that labs have health issues that responsible breeders are trying to NOT let continue .(Hip dysplasia, certain cancers, etc). They aren’t inherent in the breed standard.
Frenchies have health issues that come from inherent parts of the breed standard, the size of the body, the size of the head and the shape of the face and nose. Breeders are doing what they can to *keep* those features, even if it causes health problems.
That’s my issue with Frenchie and pug breeders, too — it’s cruelty for the purpose of human amusement. (And they ARE cute as hell!)
We have a rescue Lab mix for whom my husband and I bought a king-size bed so she could sleep with us. I totally get the inclination to lavish attention on dogs. We’re kind of obsessed with our dog.
My husband: couch
My golden retriever: bed with me 😀
Yeah…I just learned the whole c-section thing recently from a friend who filters out Frenchie owners on dating apps. She says it’s one of her instant red flags
Sorry to bulldog owners, but they provoke the same reaction in me. Apparently, they are practically asleep standing up at times because their bodies are so disproportionately aligned to their breathing capabilities. From Sparrow. Posted by mistake as Anonymous
I have a rescue Frenchie. She had a broken knee that required surgery & her previous owner couldn’t afford to pay for it. My dog has back issues, skin issues and is a sock thief. I love her very much but will never get another, they’re expensive.
Writing this while watching my Humane Society adoptee (mostly Cattle dog with Rottweiler & German shepherd two generations back) watch me. Frenchies are great, but I had no idea about the c-sections.
Note to Kismet: My vet had a Chihuweenie – they’re adorable!
Frenchies are adorable, fun personalities, low maintenance, but C-section births only, plus borrn with health issues, I can’t. Instead of encouraging unhealthy cruel breed standards, the AKC should be providing grants for cross-breeding and research to improve quality of life.
Not-fun-fact : English Bulldog also gives birth only by C-section.
I was going to say OF COURSE frenchies are the fave dogs of America. They are designer dogs that make no sense. They often have breathing problems and imho are very anxious. The c-section thing is beyond cruel.
Frenchies can be…a lot, especially when they’re younger. They’re really cute, but I’m surprised they’ve become so popular considering the health issues.
Question about the data. Is this ranking based solely on registrations with the American Kennel Club? If so, then it may not be valid to say that Frenchies have supplanted Labs as most favorite American dogs. I don’t think most people bother to register their dogs with the AKC.
And I love my mixed breed Cockapoo. She also loves eating and playing in the snow.
I have 2 labs, named Raylan and Boyd (iykyk) so my loyalties lie there. Frenchies are cute but between the birthing issues, the breathing and medical problems from being a brachiocephalic breed and the ethics of bad breeding, it’s a hard pass. I lost my old chocolate lab last April and he was 14 1/2 years old and an amazing dog so my heart will always be with labs.
Love their names!
The names, I live! 🙌🏻
My three little monsters are rescues from the south. Two were inherited, while the other we had picked up as a puppy. I can’t see spending thousands on buying a dog when there are so many rescues dogs available.
These dogs can die in extreme heat in 20 mins. I wish people would just adopt a mutt. It’s really unethical to keep breeding these dogs!
We have a black lab who was dumped in the country and running around as a stray.
He is the absolute sweetest cuddle bug (especially since it’s colder weather). While I am obviously also biased, I am just happy to talk about dogs!!
My SIL has always had an English bulldog and a Frenchie. The 5 year old English has had more issues than the Frenchie, who is probably 11 years old or so. The bulldog can’t breathe well or walk very far whereas the Frenchie doesn’t suffer the same issues for some reason. I don’t like talking shit about purebreds because I have two Scottish Folds and people (unfairly IMO) criticize the breed for being inhumane, but you have to be really careful with brachiocephalic breeds. Find a reputable breeder, research the special care they may require etc. Our Folds came from certified breeders who breed BSH-to- Fold or Straight-to-Fold only. Our cats’ ears are somewhere between single and double fold, have adequately large nostrils, and while they’re faces are foreshortened, they aren’t completely flat. Our boy cat is 10 and our girl cat is almost 17–both are very healthy although our senior does have arthritis.
I don’t get it. How are Frenchies and not Poodles Americans’ favorite dogs?
Love poodles! They’re so smart and they have lovely downy-like fur. Coat requires some maintenance and they love regular exercise, but they’re a lot of fun!
I feel like Americans are only interested in poodle mixes, lol.
My Black Lab, Luna, is my bestest friend and the sweetest girl! Shes so smart and was easy to train bedause she’s SOOOO food motivated! She’d do anything for a bicuit.
Good grief, why? I’m a Jack Russell Terrier girl myself, I just can’t imagine owning one of these flat-faced dogs that can’t breathe.
I don’t like Frenchies for all the reasons listed above and I don’t get why they are so popular. C-section births, breathing problems, unable to self-regulate their temperature (they overheat and get cold easily), unable to walk long distances, spine issues… Most of the time I lived in NYC I either saw them in dog strollers or their owners carrying them due to their short stubby legs. What is the point of owning a dog that can barely get itself around? I grew up with a bichon frise and that’s where my loyalty lies. Yes, the breed often has skin problems (mine died of cancer when he was 15) but at least it can run and breathe like a normal dog! Also they don’t shed.
I don’t get this. There are lots of “apartment sized” dogs that can breath and give birth normally!
Give me a mutt every time! Preferably part Lab.
Veterinarian here. Frenchies can have great personalities but it is absolutely unethical IMO to breed these brachycephalic dogs (smushy faces). Their conformation can lead to brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome which not only affects their breathing but their entire gastrointestinal system as a result. And they are at risk for severe forms of spinal disease (intervertebral disc disease). Pet owners generally have no idea how expensive vet care is for these pups and often don’t get pet insurance. It’s really really sad.
I adopted a 10 wk lab puppy from a rescue — how did a purebred* lab puppy end up in a rescue, you wonder? Well! Apparently a guy bought her and didn’t talk it over with his wife ahead of time. When he brought her home, his wife was like ‘wtf we have a 16 year old dog; a puppy will antagonize her!’ to which the husband oh-so-thoughtfully replied: ‘well, your dog will die soon anyway and then we will already have this dog to take her place’. So yeah, she told him to take the dog back to wherever he got her from and instead, he just dumped her at the rescue.
SHE IS ADORABLE! And I love her so much. Labs will always be number one in my heart even if they have slipped down to the number 2 spot.
And I like to imagine that the salty Americans who renamed french fires as ‘freedom fries’ are calling Frenchies: FREEDOM BULLDOGS
* Because I assumed he got her from either a backyard breeder or a puppy mill, I did an Embark test on her to see if she had any weird genetic things going on so we could plan for it and I discovered that she’s actually NOT a purebred! She’s 75% lab, 15% Golden Retriever and 10% GSD. She looks ALL lab though and she is the best. And no, she didn’t have any health things that came up on the test. <3